Shoe.



J. IVCBREARTY.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23|1913.

Patented; Aug. 3

INVENTOR ATTORNEY JOHN MCBREARTY, 0F ROSEMONT, PENNSYLVANIA.

sinon.'A

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN MGBREARTY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rosemont, in the county of Montgomery,

State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

Boots and shoes, as at present constructed, are open to several serious objections, among which may be mentioned the disastrous effects occasioned to the health of the wearer arising from the inelastic quality of that portion of the shoe which supports the largest proportion of the weight of the body, namely the heel, which, while composed generally of leather in itself somewhat elastic, contains a large number of nails passing vertically upward into the inner sole of the shoe for the purpose of attaching the heel thereto. When the shoe is new, these nails prevent any possible resiliency which might reside in the material composing the heel from being felt by the wearer, and cause numerous shocks to be directly transmitted to the spine, and as the heel wears down in use. the nails are forced completely through the inner sole into contact with the foot where-f by the shoe is made extremely uncomfortable in addition. Numerous eXpedients have been resorted to for the purpose of overcoming this difficulty of which rubber heels might be mentioned as the most`notable eX- ample, but where these are employed it is necessary to attach them by heavy nails which, extending vertically upward into the heel and coming into very close proX- imity if not in contact with the foot, cause the wearer annoyance and fatigue in a manner similar to the nails in the ordinary heel. Furthermore, while the inner sole of an ordinary'shoe, when new, lies lat in the interior thereof, after the shoe has been in use for some time, the edges of the inner sole have a distinct tendency to curl upwardly, presenting a rough and uneven surface to the foot of the wearer. This tendency. on the part of the inner sole is especially detrimental after the shoe goes over so that the .foot is thrown to one side or the other of the sole, in which position the curled up edge of the inner sole contacts with the ball of the foot, causing ehaiing and other troubles of a like nature.

Among the principal objects of my inven- Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aeg. e, i915.

Application led August 23, 1913. Serial No. 786,223.

tion are, to provide a shoe having a cushion interposed between the foot of the wearer and the inner sole of the shoe, said cushion being anatomically modeled in such manner that that portion of the foot supporting the greatest amount of weight shall be adequately cushioned against shock, due to con-` tact of the outer sole with the pavement, and which shall present a suflicient thickness of cushioning material between the heel of the wearer and the nails by which the heel of the shoe is attached that all fatigue and physical injury arising from the proximity of these nails to the foot of the wearer shall be eliminated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means for preventing the objectionable curling up of the inner sole of the shoe, which can be utilized either in a shoe comprising my imp-roved cushioning means or in the ordinaryform of shoe asv now constructed; to provide a shoe having an` internal cushion which shall be sightly in appearance and not distiguishable. from the ordinary shoe when in use or otherwise; which shall be waterproof; which shall have improved wearing qualities arising from the interposition of cushioning means'between the weight carried by the sole and the sole itself, said cushioning means thus creating a resilient backing for the sole tending to diminish wear `upon the face thereof, and

which shall be lighter` than shoes of similar .thickness of corresponding parts as now constructed. v

A further object is to provide a shoe having an internal cushioning means and means to prevent the curling up of the edges of the inner sole which may be constructed cheaply and readily either by hand, or by machinery in a manner similar to, and upon the same machines as are now used for manufacturing, the ordinary type of shoe.

A still further objectof my invention is to provide a last suitable and convenient for the purpose of constructing my improved shoe, although, if desired, the shoe may be constructed upon any type of last adapted for the purpose.

My invention further includes all of the other various novel features and improvements hereinafter more definitely specified.

ln the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in central vertical section, of a shoe constructed in accordance withmy invention; Figs. 2 and3 are right siel and left side elevational views of my improved cushion; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailed plan view on a reduced scale of the lining sole of a shoesimilar to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the heel of such a shoe; Fig. 7 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of a last suitable for use in the manufacture of such a shoe, a portion of the last being shown slightly removed from the main portionof the last and in partial vertical central section, and Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of the last with its several portions in assembled position.

For the purpose of best illustrating the features of my improved shoe to those familiar with the art, I shall now proceed to describe one method by which such a shoe may be made.

A last of suitable size and shape to produce a finished shoe of the size and style desired is first selected. This last may be preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, having a body 1 of wood or metal of suitable contour on the bottom of the sole portion and somewhat flattened on the bottom of the heel portion, around which latter porytion may preferably be ixedly attached a metallic band 3, by means of suitable screws or nails 4. This band may, if desired. be let in to the body portion of the last, as clearly shown in'F ig. 8, so as to present a smooth and even surface on the sides of the last. and be arranged to project slightly beyond the bottom of the last. A metallic shield 5 is also provided, preferably of approximately the shape shown and of a size to lit snugly inside of the projecting edge of the band 3. It will be understood that the band 3 is preferably made of relatively thin metal and projects only a slight distance beyond the body of the last, its function being merely to steady the shield 5 which may preferably be made of somewhat heavier metal, as hereinafter described, during the construction of the shoe. Hence, any other means, instead of the band, ada`pted`to accomplish this result may be made use of,'if desired. The body of the last is now inverted and the lining sole 6 is laid on the bottom thereof. This lining sole is preferably formed of flexible leather of approximately the shape shown in Fig. 5, wherein the dotted line indicates the shape of the interior of a finished shoe, the lining sole being marginally extended beyond this shape to form the turn over portion 7 at the sole, and the turn over portion 8 at the heel of the shoe respectively.v

The cushion 10 is then inverted andlaid upon the lining sole 6, this cushion being preferably formed in suitable molds, under pressure orA otherwise, of any suitable resilient yielding substance capable of retaining its shape when molded without diminution of its resilient and flexible qualities to afford a springy tread for the foot, and it may therefore, if desired, be formed of any material capable of fulfilling these requirements, and is preferably formed in approximately the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which shape had been found in practice to accomplish the best general results, although, if desired, any other shape or form may be made use of. After the cushion 10 f has been laid'upon the lining sole in the manner described, the turn over portion 8 of the lining sole G is turned down over the heel portion of the cushion 10, suitable slits or nicks, if necessary, being cut in the turn n over 8, or a portion of the material being` entirely removed in order to permit its lying snugly and closely next to the cushion, as shown in Fig. 1, and the metallic shield 5, also inverted, and formed preferably of comparatively thin metal having an interior hollowed contour conforming to the shape of the heel portion of the cushion, is then placed over the heel portion of the cushion,

in which position the turn over 8 will lie between it and the cushion 10. This shield takes the placeof the metal shield now generally made use of upon the heel portion 'of the ordinary wooden last used for constructing shoes. The inner sole 12 is next laid over thc surface of the cushion on top of the metal shield 5, and together with the metal shield 5, the cushion 10 and the lining sole G. is temporarily secured in place upon the. last. bv a few tacks or otherwise, the

the shoe. The upper 17 ofthe shoe, previously formed in any suitable manner and containing the lining 18, and if desired the heel stiening 19, is next worked over the upper portion of the last, which may be turned into an upright position during this operation if desired. After the upper has been snugly tted upon the last, the lower edge of the upper, together with the lining, will project somewhat beyond the inner sole in the ordinary well known manner, as

will also the turn over 7 of the lining sole 6,the same having been turned down over the edge of the cushion 10 and of the inner sole 12 at the same time that the lower edge of the upper 17 and lining 18 were pulled over the edges of these elements.

The several protruding edges having been i temporarily secured in place by tacks,for-

otherwise if desired, the welt 21 may next be applied in the usual manner upon the exterior of the upper 17. The turn over 7 of the lining sole 6, the lining 18 and the upper 17 are then preferably stitched together between the inner sole and the welt by stitches 23"passing completely through these several elements, the inner sole 12 and welt 21 being provided with suitable recesses 24 and 25 respectively for the accommodation of these Stitches in the well known manner. ThatV portion of the upper '17, lining 18 and stiffening 19 which form the heel'portion of the upper may be attached to the inner sole 12 by means of a plurality of nails .28 instead of by stitching to the welt, which may preferably only extend as lfar back as'the front edge of the heel, these nails passing completely through the inner sole, but being turned over and clenched by their contact with the metal shield 5, which,`as previously explained, has been interposed between the heel portion 0f the inner sole and the exterior of the cushion 10 at this pointr The outer sole 30 may then be attached in the customary way by sewing to the welt 21 by means of the stitches 31 as far back as the heel 33. vThe heel 33 may be formed separately from the shoe in the ordinary manner, but preferably somewhat more hollowed out, as shown in Fig. 6, than the type of heel generally made use of invshoes as at present constructed, and may be attached to the inner sole 12 by a plurality of nails 35 passing vertically upward through the outer sole 30 and through the inner sole 12, the

points being turned over and clenched by contact with the metallic shield 5 in the manner already described in connection with the nails 28. The shoe is now completed and the last 1 may be withdrawn from the shoe, the tacks used to confine the various parts before the application of the welt 21 having been preferably removed previously to the application of the outer sole 30. The metallic shield 5 may next be removed by inserting a suitable implement between the metalshield 5 and the inner sole 12, by means of which-both the lining sole and the heel portion of the cushion 10 may be raised suiiiciently to permit the withdrawal of the shield, it being understood that the heel portions of both the lining sole 6 and the cushion 10, the edge of which is covered by the turn over 8, merely rest within the cavity formed in the heel of the shoe, whereas the sole portion of the cushion is closely coniined in a sort of pocket formed by the lining sole 6 and the inner sole 12 which are stitched together as previously described.

While the configuration of the lower side of the sole portion of the cushion, as showny in Figs. 2 and 3, is somewhat irregular, when the same is inserted in position in the shoe and irmly bound in place between the upper side of the inner sole 12 and the lower side of the lining sole 6, these irregularities will disappear so that the cushion will present a smooth and regular surface in contact with the upper side of the inner sole 12, the elevated portions of the underside of the sole of the cushion having been compressed sufficiently by the drawing down of the lining sole 6 when it is sewed in position to produce this result. In consequence, the cushion is somewhat more compressed and of a greater density beneath those portions of the sole of the foot which support greater proportions of the weight of the wearer when the shoe is being worn, as for instance, the ball of the foot and the underside of the toes. Furthermore, if desired, an arch supporter 37 formed of steel, or other suitable material, may be molded directly in the underside of the cushion 10, or may be placed between the cushion and the inner sole 12 during the construction of the shoe, such arch supporter serving to support the -arch of the wearers foot in the well known manner. If desired, however, the arch supporter may be entirely omitted.

From the foregoing description of the construction of a shoe embodying my improvements, it will be seen that the cushioning means are entirely inclosed within the shoe and that the same are invisible and do not detract from the appearance of the shoe either when in use or when a person is looking into the interior thereof, and that cushioning means are presented beneath the foot of the wearer at all points, preventingI both the fatigue due to contact of the leather sole with a hard pavement, as well as the injurious effects arising from the use of the ordinary shoe, in which the wearers heel is practically in direct contact with a plurality of steel nails which communicate to it, and thence to the spine, whatever jar and shock arise from the contact of the heel with the ground either in walking or standing. Furthermore, all curling up of the edges of the inner sole is completely prevented by reason of the method of attachment of the lining sole 6 which is drawn downwardly over the edge ofthe inner sole 12 and sewed in position on the underside of the inner sole.- Hence, the tendency of the lining sole 6 is to draw the inner sole 12 downward whereby the latter is held in position and the edges are prevented from turning up. Furthermore, in a shoe embodying the principles of my invention, there is no tendency to runpover at the heel, or at any other place, for the reason that if in use, owing to some peculiarity of the wearer, his weight does not fall directly upon the axial line of the shoe but to one side thereof instead,

the cushion will tend to distribute this intion to which it is found that since the cushion readily adapts itself to any pe-- culiarity of the wearers foot, there is less tendency to concentrate the weight upon any given point, the same being distributed over the whole interior surface of the shoe and supported by the sole of the foot in the manner intended by nature.

I do not desire to limit myself to the exact features illustrated in the drawing and described herein, nor to the method which I have described of constructing a shoe embodying the features of my invention, nor to the use, in constructing the shoe, of a last such as I have illustrated, as such a shoe may be made in various ways and by any desired method, either by hand or by machinery as well as in different sizes and f shapes and with different forms of cushions and upon various sorts of lasts, and furthermore, I do not desire to limit myself to the use of any specific material for forming the cushions, since thel same may be formed of any material suitable for the purpose, and may or may not be provided with an arch supporter. I therefore do not desire to confine myself to the various details of construction and arrangement which have been described, as it will be evident that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In ashoe, the combination of an inner sole, a lining sole, and a resilient cushion between said soles, a portion of the edge of said lining sole being turned over the edge of said cushion and stitched to said inner sole and another portion of said lining sole resting between said cushion and said inner sole and unattached thereto.

2. In a shoe, the combination of an inner 3. In a shoe, the combination with an inl ner sole and an outer sole, of a cushion lining upon said inner sole, and a lining sole lying upon said cushion, a portion ofthe edge of said lining sole being turned downwardly and stitched to said inner sole to form a pocket for the reception of said cushion, and another portion of said lining sole resting in contact with but being unattached to said inner sole.

4. In a shoe, the combination of a lining sole, an inner sole, an outer sole, a heel having a hollowed upper surface, and a cushion within said shoe, said inner sole and said outer sole lying within the hollow of said heel and forming a cavity for the reception of a portion of said cushion and a portion of said lining sole.

5. In a shoe, the combination with a cushion formed of resilient material, of a lining sole resting upon the upper surface of said cushion, an inner sole, an outer sole, said lining sole being sitched to said inner sole to form a pocket for the reception of a portion of said cushion,l and a heel having a hollowed upper face for the reception of another portion of said cushion and for the heel portions of said inner and outer soles.

6. A shoe having an interior cushion, a lining sole, an inner sole, and a heel having a hollow, a portion of said cushion being confined between said soles and another portion of said cushion resting within said hollow.

7 In a shoe, the combination with a cushion formed of yielding material, of a lining sole resting upon the upper surface of said cushion, and an inner sole, a portion of said lining sole being stitched to said inner sole, and another portion of said lining sole lying between said cushion and said inner sole.

' 8. In a shoe, the combination with a cushion formed of springy material, of a lining sole upon the upper surface of said cushion,

and an inner sole, a portionof said-lining sole being turned downwardly over the edge of said cushion and stitched to said inner sole, and another portion of said lining sole being also turned downwardly over the edge of said cushion and resting between said cushion and said inner sole. v

9. In a shoe, the combination with an inner sole, of a lining sole having an extended heel portion, a cushion between said inner sole and said lining sole, a portion of said lining sole extending over the edge of said cushion and of said inner sole, and stitches passing through said inner sole and said lining so e, said lining sole being operative to hold said inner sole from turning upwardly at its edges, said extended portion thereofl resting between said cushion and said inner sole.

10. An integral resilient cushion for a cushion shoe comprising a heel portion thickened toward the center, a thinner instep portion, and a forepart portion of varying thicknesses.

11. A flexible molded cushion for a cushion shoe formedv of resilient material and having a maximum thickness at the heel por-` tion, a minimum thickness about midway of the forepart of the sole portion, and an intermediate thickness in the instep portion, said sole portion being further thickened atv those points upon which the foot most heavily rests.

12. A flexible molded cushion for a cushion shoe having an arch supporting member incorporated therein during the molding operation.

13. A cushion for a cushion shoe comprising a resilient molded body portion, and a metallic arch supporter molded Within that portion of the cushion forming the instep portion thereof.

14. In a shoe, the combination with an inner sole, of a lining sole, an upper, a welt, a heel having a hollowed-out portion, a cushion between said inner sole and said lining sole, stitches passing through said welt, said upper, said lining sole and said inner sole operative to attach said lining sole to the under side of said inner sole, and a plurality of nails passing upwardly through said heel and through said outer and inner soles, a portion of said lining sole resting above the points of said nails and beneath said cushion within the hollow of said heel.

15. In a shoe, the combination of a lining sole, an inner sole, an upper, a lining for said upper, a welt upon the exterior of said upper, a cushion having a thickened heel portion, a heel having a hollowed upper surface, and stitches passing through said welt, said upper, said lining, a portion of said lining sole and said inner sole, operative to xedly attach said elements to said inner sole, whereby the forward portion of said cushion 1s maintained in position, the thickened portion of said cushion resting loosely upon a portion of said lining sole within the hollow of said heel.

16. In a shoe, the combination of an inner sole, a lining sole extending over the edge of said inner sole and stitched to the under side thereof, said lining sole being operative to maintain said inner sole in position, an outer sole, a heel having a hollow and a cushion having a thickened heel portion, and a plurality of nails passing upwardly through said heel, said outer sole and said inner sole and clenched within the latter, the thickened portion of said cushion resting within the hollow of said heel above said nails and upon a portion of said lining sole.

17. In a shoe, the combination of a heel having a h ollowed upper surface, an outer sole and an inner sole extending over said hollowed surface, a lining sole partially extending over the edge of said inner'sole, and a cushion substantially coextensive with said inner sole and having a thickened heel portion, said thickened portion resting upon laid inner sole within the hollow of said In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of August, A. D.,

' J OI-IN MCBREAR'IY. Witnesses:

JAY R. GRIER, GEORGE K. I-IELBERT. 

